The House of Red Hood
by TeaunaJ
Summary: yeah i suck at this whole summary thing. Marianne Red Hood is betrothed to Wendell. Queen Red Hood wants him dead so she can take over the fourth kingdom and destroy the wolves. Marianne inadvertently falls for Wendell and challenges her mother. I'll try to stick to the map in the Tenth Kingdom as best i can. i own nothing that was in the movie
1. Chapter 1

**I own nothing and updates will be sporadic I apologize in advance for that. I won't reviews good bad and ugly thanks! J**

As the sun crept up to meet the land on the horizon, the towns people awoke as the first rays danced upon the majestic hills surrounding the small town of Snowfall, that was situated just under Snow White Castle. Everywhere you looked life was bustling about. Merchants were busy setting up their goods in carts to take to market and housewives were just starting the laundry while the cool morning air lasted. Children played and giggled on the cobblestone streets throughout the town, their smiles shining brighter than an ember. Everywhere the sounds of everyone going about their lives happily could be heard. Everywhere, except in my room in the east wing of Snow White Castle. Here, the curtains were still drawn, shutting out all but a sliver of light from penetrating the darkness in the room. No sounds could be heard but the faint rhythmic ticking of the ornate clock on the wall. The room had become my mood, exuding gloom and despair. And why shouldn't I despair? Here I was, lying in a bed that was not mine, albeit a comfy one, awaiting a fate I sorely wished to escape from. Ever since her mother, The Queen Red Riding Hood the Third; ruler of the second kingdom, had informed her of her imminent betrothal to King Wendell, she had been an inconsolable mess. Why should she have to marry a man she had never met and leave her life in Red Hood Castle behind? She had known this day would come of course, it was the duty of a Red Hood to marry a man chose by their mother ever since great, great, great, however many more greats grandmother Red Hood had been eaten by a wolf. Its not like she DIED or anything, honestly I think she over reacted. And even so why was I set to marry a man responsible for pardoning the wolves? 'What a great idea, mother' I seethed. Everywhere in all the kingdoms, King Wendell's decree was being mirrored and celebrated, all but the second kingdom joining in the pardoning of the wolves. The second kingdom would never stop fighting the wolves, not after years of hate and aggression. Constant fighting had been occurring between the Sister Hoods of Red and the wolf tribes as it had been for centuries and the Red Riding Hood Forest was in a bigger state of upset than ever as it is the home of the wolves who have grown bolder since the pardon. Perhaps that is why my mother sent me to marry King Wendell. Make the king happy, and he turns a blind eye to a few extra fur coats coming about… I sighed in frustration. I guess for the extinction of the wolves, I could put SOME effort into getting out of bed to meet the man who would be my husband.

I forced my feet to the floor and stood with a yawn. Walking into the bathroom, I drew myself a bath and turned to look in the mirror on the wall. With my long raven black hair and forest green eyes, I was a run of the mill Red Hood. Nothing special there. Just then my handmaid Vivel waltzed in and the contrast between us was painful. She had sweeping red hair and dazzling blue eyes the shade of the ocean in a storm. Her body had filled out much nicer than mine had though we were the same age. Still I harbored her no ill will, in fact she was the best friend I had. "good morning, my lady" She curtsied low before standing with a smug look in her eyes. I rolled my eyes at her. Never does she call me my lady. As soon as I rolled my eyes she came to stand next to me excitement radiating from her every pore. " This castle is so much different than back home. They hardly have any red at all! The Sister Hoods would be beside themselves trying to change their color scheme" she giggled loudly to herself. " Couldn't you just imagine Madame Pru chasing the interior decorator around with her wooden staff?" Madame Pru was the oldest and most devout of the Sisters and could whack you harder and faster than you would think possible for someone of her age but then again she was a sorceress like me. I had come into my powers as a babe and only a handful of people knew since most sorcerers are viewed as evil ." I seem to remember her chasing us about when I convinced you to magic her flowers white" I winced at the memory of that. " Another of your brilliant ideas" Vivel laughed at the pained look on my face. " Oh don't be such a stick in the mud, my ideas are golden" I could not recall a time when I and Vivel were not together thus she knew all about my sorcery. And how to manipulated it to her plans.

I step into the warm water and scrub my body quickly. Vivel, already bathed and ready, stands ready to attend to me. I finish cleaning and exit the bath where Vivel wraps me in a red towel and I dry off before going to my dresser of clothing. I open the first to find all my red hoods I had brought with me. I took one out and laid it across the top of the dresser to put on over my normal clothing, which would be a red and black shirt and blue jeans. Some might ask why everything I own is red in some shape or form. It is a very simple answer. Wolves hate the color red, it blinds their sense of smell, their most prominent sense, allowing us to sneak in and incapacitate them. And its such a nice color with the black of my hair. I felt at ease as I slid the familiar red cape over my attire, the only comfort I was liable to have today. I turned to Vivel who smiled encouragingly and we both walked toward the parlor where I was to meet King Wendell.

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A loud bark woke King Wendell from his peaceful sleep. Why he had insisted on keeping the mangy flee bag in his room again? Obviously a mistake on his part. "Quiet Prince or I shall have you changed human again" Prince stopped with a low whine. I would have to have one of those "muzzles" Antony told me about made for him. With a glance at the clock on the wall, I hurriedly rose from bed, stretching contently. I left my room for the bathroom, my bath already drawn by Lestin, my newest man servant, who stood against the wall silent as the grave. I stepped into my marble tub I had had Antony get for me from the kingdom of "New York". It was of course nice to have servants (I had so missed them as a dog) but sometimes I wish they would let me do things myself. Like choosing my own bride, for instance. I seethed furiously at the idea of meeting my bride to be. Only six months have gone by since my coronation and already they bicker at me like dogs. And I would know right? Prince chose this moment to accent my thoughts with a bark, and I laughed at the irony of it. My advisors had set me up with Ms. Marianne Red Hood, heir to the Second Kingdom, because it had always been Lady Snow White's dream to see the 2nd kingdom healed of their prejudice which was the real reason he had pardoned the wolves. But lets let wolf think he did that, poor man needed some sort of achievement under his belt and I doubt he could get it alone. It has fallen to him to bring Snow White's dream into reality. No one had forced me I reminded myself, I chose to take this burden onto myself. I took a deep breath and let it out. He would marry this woman. I looked down at my hands to see them pruning and gasped in horror. It would not do to meet my future bride at less than my utmost. I rushed out of the tub before it could do more damage and Lestin was waiting with a towel, coming toward me to dry my off. I stopped him with one raised hand. " I can dry myself Lestin, I'm not a child". He shrugged his rather large shoulders and handed me the towel before walking away. I smiled at my small independent act, but sigh as I know it will probably be my only happiness of the day, for surely this Marianne would be like all the other women I had met over the course of my life, excluding virginia; Spoiled and power hungry. I will never understand why Antony feels the need to bed them all in a vain attempt to keep one, when by now he should know all they want is his status. Though I had never understood the desires of simpler men, so I was unbothered. As if on cue, there is a knock on my door and in strolls Lord Antony of the harlots. " Hello Antony. I do hope you don't plan to wear that to meet my future bride." He looked down at his Hawaiian print shirt he had gotten from home and his khaki pants, a confused expression on his face. "this is what all the rich men in movies wear. You just don't understand the style of my world". He smoothed his shirt out with a smug smile. I turned back into my bedroom and found my armoire of clothes and chose a white ruffle sleeved shirt and a black bow tie with my usual black dress pants. And as an added touch, I donned a red rose in the small pocket on my shirt. That is when I turned back to Antony to find him shifting in impatience, obviously bursting to tell me something. I wearily ran my fingers through my dirty blonde hair and acknowledged him. "What's her name?" he grinned broadly and began to tell me everything about his new women. Her hair color, the way she smelled, what she wore, what she didn't wear… I am not ashamed to admit I stopped listening at this point and began fixing my hair. Antony's stories could continue for hours before he realized I was listening. Honestly I think the man just liked to hear himself talk. A knock on the door interrupted his story though and I was all the more glad for it. " come in" The young maid I had charged with taking care of Marianne opened the door and curtsied. " Lady Red Hood awaits you in the parlor, Your Highness. And so it had begun." thank you, you may go". She closed the door quickly and Antony let out a low whistle and looked back to me. Too late to run, huh?" he laughed boisterously at that but I didn't understand it though and he stopped to look at me funny. "because men- oh never mind you won't understand". I doubt Antony was ever funny in his world but I did not wish to offend his small self esteem when he so longed for my acceptance. I just smiled and gestured toward the door "shall we meet the bride?" he nodded and walked out with me behind him, heading to meet the mysterious Marianne Red Hood


	2. Chapter 2

**Warning: GORE. Gore. Don't read if you have an aversion to death.**

 **Own nothing not even the DVD. Sad, i know. J**

The walk to the parlor had been a short one, and the maid who led us here had gone to fetch the king. With nothing else to do Vivel and I stood examining our surroundings. We marveled at the parlor room we had come to, with its grandeur and furniture we could not place. In the middle of the room where there would usually be a sitting area for guests there was a rectangular table with green fur on top, with numbered balls of different colors sitting in a raised triangle outline that kept them corralled in it. A few staffs that were wide at the bottom and smaller at the top stood in a wooden frame in the corner, for what purpose I couldn't tell. The fire place glowed familiarly with chairs on either side, as if they had been an after thought. Vivel had rounded the table, studying its every angle in hopes of unlocking its secrets but in the end could discern nothing from the surface and came once more to my side. Only a few minutes passed after Vivel finished her inspection that the maid I had sent returned with a deep curtsy. " His Highness will be with you in a moment, my lady" I nodded my head to confirm I had heard and smiled politely at the young maid. She was a lithe little thing, all softness and frailty. She obviously wasn't used to royalty, she fidgeted and shifted in my presence. In fact, I had noticed all of the kings staff seemed to be nervous, like they were all new. Just on the way here a laundry maid had dropped a linen towel and could not stop apologizing profusely. I had had to order her to calm down just so she wouldn't go into a fit of hysterics. Wendell either beat them continuously or had replaced them all with young girls so he would have something to look at. "Thank you, you may go" She curtsied again and left leaving me to wait once more. I did not have to wait long. The king entered shortly after she exited the room, to go back to her real duties, along with someone I assumed was a servant. The king stood a head higher than her with dirty blonde locks that curled slightly on the end. He had a slight figure but she could see the muscular undertones peeking out and he carried himself with such grace that I envied him. The king bowed as he entered the room and I curtsied in return. "Hello My Lady I am King Wendell. It is a pleasure to meet you" he seemed as uncomfortable as I was with the situation. As he stood back up I did not see the reproach I had expected but astonishment in his eyes as he looked me over. 'Why the hell was he astonished!?' I thought furiously. Did he expect me to frill myself up for him? I grudgingly introduced Vivel and he introduced Antony, who was apparently a lord of some sort (go figure), who responded with " Just Tony please" and took each of our hands and shook vigorously. It was quite an odd greeting that left me and Vivel confused. Seeing our confusion he sighed. " I forget you people don't shake hands". Wendell cleared his throat and gestured to the seats around the fireplace. Do you wish to sit and talk together, my lady?" He was already heading to the seats as if he knew my answer already. He was treating me like I was every other royal I realized. " No I would not like to sit your majesty" I growled out. I was being unreasonably aggressive but I didn't care. " I would rather have a tour of the castle" 'Might as well learn it now' I thought. 'It will be my home soon.' Wendell widened his eyes in astonishment, obviously not expecting me to disobey him. I could tell we weren't going to get along already. He quickly recovered and smiled at me. " Of course. What would you like to see first then?" I thought this over for a minute. "Do you have a garden?"

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Wendell

I was surprised to see the look of excitement on Marianne's face when we exited the castle and entered the garden. This women was quickly becoming a mystery. Every women before her had sat with me, talked about past accomplishments or fashion and then asked to see the throne room or in the more promiscuous case, the bedroom. She had only asked to see the garden and hadn't spoke to me since. She stopped beside a bright orange Tiger Lily that I had had imported especially for my garden. I stepped up beside her. " They are Tiger Lilies, imported from the Tenth Kingdom" I reached down intending to grab a stray weed when she grabbed my sleeve. I looked over at her quizzically and she frowned down at me. " Don't pick them, they are happier in the ground." I chuckled at the comment which only made her look angrier at me and pulled my sleeve from her grasp. She certainly didn't want my title, not with that attitude. "I wasn't going to pick one" I reached down and pulled the weed I had seen and smiled at her. She blushed much like I had expected and turned away with an "oh". I could tell from the expression on her face she hadn't expected me to know much of plants so I decided to show off a bit. " I also have Nights Breath" I pointed to a purple flower native to the Fifth Kingdom. " And many more besides." I began to point out more intending to name them to her when she stopped me with a hand on my shoulder. " I know their names." She turned to me and continued animatedly. " Do you have anymore from the Tenth Kingdom? I haven't seen those before." She turned her attention back to the garden, a small smile playing at her lips. I couldn't help but stare until she turned back to me expectantly. "um well, I have a section for them in the back corner here. These are just my favorites" I pointed in the general direction of them and offered her my arm to escort her there. She hesitantly grabbed it and as we walked we discussed all the plants we knew of. "How did you get into gardening so much?" She finally asked as we exhausted each others lists of plants. " My mother before she died had created this garden." I smiled at the memory of her bent in the beds planting all types of herbs and flowers. "She would always call me to help her. 'Teaches patience' she would say, though suspiciously I took care of the bugs mostly. I've taken to tending it since she has passed on though the gardeners still do most of the work". She smiled at that. " Who taught you?" I asked in return. She frowned. " The servants who took care of the gardens of the castle told me about them when I would go there but I didn't see them until mother decided I should 'come out' as a royal as she put it." I looked over at her with confusion. " Did you not grow many flowers at your castle?" She shook her head and laughed mirthlessly. " We did but they were only the ones that bloomed red or herbs that wolves didn't like. Nothing was just for beauties sake like here." She gestured grandly to our surroundings and I realized we had almost passed the section we had intended to head toward. She seemed to notice as I did and let go of my arm to dash excitedly to them. My arms felt emptier than ever with her gone so I shuffled close to her and began naming off all the different types of flowers to her. She would ask questions every now and again like " Does it smell like babies breath?" or "Time? What does it do?" and I would explain them to her before continuing with the names. As I was saying the name of the last plant in the corner garden a guard arrived behind us and announced his arrival with a rough cough. " Your Majesty, My Lady. The council wishes you to attend dinner in the main dining hall" I looked up into the sky in surprise. The sun was falling into the horizon with deep orange and gold rays of light twinkling out of existence. " oh, my it looks as if we lost track of time" I grinned and offered my arm to Marianne once more and she took it immediately, sending little waves of euphoria to my heart. We walked this way, talking of our hobbies and interests along the long walk from the back of the garden back to the castle. " I can't imagine you trying to cook" Marianne giggled at him. I furrowed his brow. " Neither could the kitchen staff. In retrospect it wasn't the best idea to start with cake, had to buy an entirely new stove by the end of it." This caused her to laugh harder. She was still laughing when we made it to the doors leading back into the main hall of the castle. The guard on duty bowed as we approached and opened the doors for us and closed it back when we were through. The main hall had been decorated by my interior decorator and as such showed excess everywhere. A fireplace crackled against the far wall safely out of reach of the large useless table in the middle of the room covered in decorative flowers and mini statues. Chairs surrounded the table though they were never used. A chandelier hung low over it, roughly as wide as the table and flanked a few feet by smaller but no less gaudy chandeliers. A coat hanger sat next to the door they had entered through and several ornaments including a large wall clock and a mural of the town of Snowfall in full swing hung on the walls. They entered to see Vivel, Antony, and a blonde who I immediately recognized as one of the royals I had turned down who had been on the power hungry promiscuous side of my refusals and sighed as she wrapped her arms around Antony's waist. He would never learn. As we approached them Vivel claimed Marianne's other arm with exasperation. " PLEASE save me from this" The girl looked positively at her wits end. She glanced over at me with a look of surprise and quickly added " My Lady" to her plea. I smirked at the obvious nervousness and released Marianne's arm. " Well My lady" I winked at Vivel as I said this and she blushed furiously and looked away. " I must make sure the dining hall is prepared before we dine so I must take my leave of you" On a whim I grabbed her hand intending to kiss it and felt her skin for the first time. It was soft and cool to the touch, utterly beautiful and electric. But what I had thought was a small electric thrill at touching her became an uncomfortable shock and suddenly I no longer saw the main hall that we had been standing in. Instead it was a twisted version of the room. It was completely drowned in blood. It was splashed on the walls in abstract droplets. The floor was soaked an inch deep. As I studied the room further I noticed something even worse. The great big ornate chandelier that had once glittered golden was now dark, blood putting the candles out. Bodies hung loosely from the metal from clothes or in worse cases their own skin, dripping more blood to the already covered floor. The two smaller chandeliers reflected the first with one exception. The bodies of well dressed noble children swung lightly on them, looks of horror plastered forever on their faces. He looked down quickly from the horrific sight only to see body parts cut to pieces burning in the fireplace. Arms and legs stuck out in a chaotic pattern, blackened and bloody. The table was by far the worst though. The table had been emptied of its previous load and was now set for a dinner. Bodies had been strapped to the chairs around it using rope to keep them upright. The plates placed in front of each one of them were meticulously arranged and their severed heads were placed in them. As he stared terrified, a small body came crawling out from beneath the table. He was no more than ten and held his hand against his neck where blood was pulsing out in great gulps. He looked straight into my eyes with despair evident. There was something familiar in his yellow eyes… he opened his mouth then and I saw his slightly large teeth before he spoke. "Help us".


	3. Chapter 3

p class="MsoNormal"I stared down at Wendell's hand on mine in horror. What had that been? A vision of the future? And why had a WOLF of all things climbed out wounded? They were usually the instigators… Silence had fallen on the entire group as they stared at our fearful faces. Tony was the one to break the silence. "Is there some kind of 'Don't touch the bride before the wedding day or die of a horrible curse' thing or something?" He sighs and rubs his temples. "What is WITH you people?" He gestures for his lady and Vivel to join him in the dining room and exits, leaving just me and Wendell in a now completely normal hall in silence once again. I clear my throat nervously. "W-what just happened?" I stammered. Wendell looked up into my eyes and it was the same expression I'm sure I had. Confusion and fear. " I have no idea but it can't be good" He looked around before leaning in close to my ear. I could feel his breath on my neck and shivered. "Best we talk about this in a more private setting later" He moved back and I nodded in agreement. He smirked. " Quite eager to be alone with me?" I rolled my eyes and ignored him, walking away to the dining room. I know he was just trying to lighten the mood or I might have smacked him. After the images we had seen… I shook the thought away. No use dwelling on pure fantasy. He caught up to me with an easy grace still smirking. " Now it's only good manners to be a gracious host and give the guest what she wants" I raise an eyebrow over at him. " Well since you offered…" He looked over at me in surprise, blushing from head to toe. I burst into a fit of laughter despite trying so hard to hold it in. He frowned and crossed his arms. "That's not funny" I kept laughing and he lost the serious pose, instead joining me. By the time we made it to the dining hall, all trace of worry had been erased effectively. We sat at our respective seats and I was greeted by Wendell's council. Brant, the leader, was a gentlemen of plump stature, graying hair and an easy relaxing smile. Peter, the treasurer, was a no nonsense skinny man with oily black hair and his face stuck in a perpetual grimace. Martin, the courier, seemed to be the newest edition as he kept fidgeting and glancing around nervously. He had short brown hair and reminded me, demeanor and looks, of a mouse. Andre, the court designer, was a tall man of average build with beautiful black hair and baby blue eyes. I could imagine women falling all over him. I watched as he laughed, putting his hand to his heart and playfully tapping Peter. Scratch that, different team, that one. The last man of the council, announced as the liaison manager, was a dwarven man with deep set brown eyes and a beard that dragged the floor. He looked less than interested with the going ons of anyone, opting instead to frown at his plate and wistfully sigh. Dinner finished without a hitch and the council retired to their individual chambers. " If its all the same to you my lady I'll retire now" Vivel curtsied, gave me a wink and waltzed away with the rest of the servants. I jumped as Wendell laid a hand on my shoulder. "By Repunzel's golden locks! Don't scare me like that!" He laughed easily and grabbed my arm, cautious of not touching my bare skin. "I'm sorry my lady. I have to take care of a few things tonight so I was hoping you'd be okay with taking a tour with me again tomorrow and then ending with a conversation in private?" He smiled politely and I nodded. "Of course, your majesty" I curtsied and he grinned. "Now was that so hard?" He led me to my chambers and hesitated slightly, looking at my hand before deciding against something and bade me goodnight. The next morning I had washed, dressed, and told Vivel of my immanent plans (To which she giggled wildly) and everything that had happened besides the vision. She grinned widely at me. "And you thought he would be a pompous ass" I waved away her remark. "He could still be a pompous ass and love flowers". At this Vivel's eyes glinted mischievously. "A few sweet words about flowers with his looks and he'd have you on your back in the middle of the gardens and you know it" I blushed furiously and indignantly yelled " HE WOULD NOT!" Just as someone knocked on the door. "come in" I snapped and before looking to see who it was I turned back to Vivel. "Just because he's handsome doesn't mean I'm going to loose all sense and get naked in a garden! Though I have a feeling you would" Vivel glanced over at the door and instantly smothered her laughter behind her hand and blushed. With an increasingly bad feeling, I turned toward the door to find Wendell standing there with a look of shock marring his face. I instantaneously turned beat red. "If you'll excuse us Vivel" I got up to leave and Vivel stopped me with a hand and gestured me closer to her. I leaned in reluctantly and she whispered in my ear. "Bring me back a Night Flower" to which she lost control of her laughter and I swiftly ran out the door with Wendell in tow. We walked in silence for a few minutes, drifting around the castle from room to room before Wendell cleared his throat. "So" I could already tell where this was headed. "You think I'm handsome?" He smiled a crooked smile down at me and I turned my face away before he could see me turn redder but was obviously too late because he laughed joyously. "It's okay my lady, I'm quite fond of your looks too" He gingerly grasped my arm and I peeked at him through my long hair. "Thank you" I mumbled to him to which he smiled sweetly. "No thanks needed for the truth". We continued on, talking about each room as we entered it and when we entered into the parlor we had met at yesterday I stopped him. "What is that table there?" Excitement lit his eyes and he grabbed a staff from the wooden holder it was in. "It's a game. I'll teach you if you like." Two hours later and a few bruises and I had finally gotten the hang of 'Pool'. I touched Wendell's shoulder gingerly once we had put the 'Q sticks' up and he winced slightly. "sorry" I had hit him rather hard with a few of the balls. He smiled at me and rolled his eyes. "I'm a king. I'm tougher than that. Still, he rubbed his shoulder achingly as we walked out to explore the rest of the castle. The castle turned out to be much bigger than my mother's. It had at least fifteen useless rooms and fifty guest rooms decked out in gold and green to which Wendell simply said "Andre". There was one room however that held her attention the most. Wendell had walked up to the door hastily and turned to grin at me before saying "my lady, welcome to the Bouncy Room" He opened the door and the room was huge. All around stood these miniature rooms and inside them children jumped higher than imaginable. And there were lots of children of varying status and age. "What is this?" I turned to ask Wendell only to find him bent down picking up a small girl with blonde pigtails and commoners clothing. She bounded into his arms and fastened herself on his hip like she'd done it a thousand times and squealed in delight. "Brother!" Wendell laughed and turned toward me. "THIS is Ms. Marianne. Marianne, this is Willa." Willa smiled a great big grin and reached her arms out to me for me to grab her. I took her from Wendell and she latched to my hip the same as she had Wendell. Immediately her face became serious though. "I here you want to marry my brother" I smiled politely at the young girl. "Only if it's okay with you". Apparently that's all she needed to here to launch into her life story and tell me everything a child enjoys to tell. She told me about the tooth fairy taking her tooth for her and how he had given her fairy dust instead of money and of how she enjoyed looking for hidden treasures in the woods. She talked and talked and I ooh'd and aah'd accordingly. Eventually she exhausted all her topics and wiggled out of my grasp and to the floor. She turned to Wendell all seriousness again and nodded her little head, which sent her pigtails cascading around her face, then walked off to join her group of friends. Wendell grinned and grabbed my arm once more and led me out through another door. He continued to walk with a purposeful gait but after we passed three or four doors, I glanced at him quizzically. "Where are we going?" He merely nodded toward a set of stairs near where we had started our little tour. "I thought we might continue our discussion now if it pleases you" he was leading me to his chambers I realized and I felt the fluttering of butterflies beating against my stomach. I stopped at the bottom of the stairs that led to his door. "I wish to make perfectly clear I do not intend to be like all the other women I'm sure you've had in your company" I said it with more sting than I truly meant but instead of the angry retort I was expecting he blushed and very coolly responded. "I've never had a woman in that way" and continued up the stairs. I blushed in embarrassment and mumbled an apology to which he nodded his head. I just couldn't keep my foot out of my mouth today. Wendell opened the door to his room, let go of my arm, and walked over to a loveseat pushed against the far wall in front of a small window. His room was amazing. In the middle a large four post bed with sheets of royal white silk and a cover of velvety black took up a good portion of the room, along with a white floor length dresser where more clothes than she could possibly imagine could fit. Another fireplace was against the wall parallel to the bed but unlike the other fireplaces she had seen here it was of a brilliant white stone that glistened with the heat from the fire and illuminated the black and white striped walls and cobblestone floor. "wow" I said breathlessly. He smiled knowingly and admired the room himself. "I've always had good taste". I smiled at this and seated myself on the sofa with him. He turned his body to me and through the thin white fabric of his shirt I could just make out the muscles of his abdomen. I hurriedly looked back up to his face, knowing if he caught me I'd never hear the end of it. I needn't have worried though as he sat frowning out the window in concentration. After some time of this I sighed and he turned to me with some amusement deep in his eyes. "Sorry" He ran his hands through his hair. "It's fine" My voice cracked a little to my dismay and I cleared my throat and continued on a more serious note. "Has this ever happened… well with anyone else?" He was already shaking his head before she finished. She frowned. "Me either". He let out a frustrated sigh and placed his head in the palm of one of his hands. "Do you suppose it was maybe some random happenstance and will never happen again?" He said it without hope. "Not likely but we could test this theory." I reached my hands out to him cautiously, giving him a chance to withdraw. He didn't. I grasped his hand and felt his slightly rough skin. Nothing happened. I ran my hand up his arm a little ways to be sure and he flipped his hand over nonchalantly I continued without thinking then realized where we were and what I was doing. I took my hand back and blushed. "Well that didn't work" I looked into his eyes and seen a hesitant determination there. "maybe.. Maybe I have to touch you?" He reached his hand toward me and neither one of us broke eye contact as his hand softly grazed over my bare arms. I shivered at the feel of it and my heart stammered in my chest. He leaned in closer to me and my breath caught in my throat. This was really happening. Was I ready for this? I had only known him for a day. I shouldn't let this happen. I should back away.. But my body wouldn't move. He leaned even closer and I felt his breath on my face. I closed my eyes prepared for the kiss I could almost feel but the next instant it was gone. "You should leave" I opened my eyes and he had scooted away to the farthest point away from me he could and was staring out the window with a stony expression on his face. I could feel my lips trembling with unshed tears. "Yeah maybe I should" His eyes softened and he opened his mouth probably to apologize but I didn't give him the chance. "Wouldn't want to make that mistake" I saw the hurt in his eyes before I ran out the room, the tears finally falling as I hit the last stair./p 


	4. Chapter 4

My heart was pounding louder than my fee on the cobblestone floor as I ran toward my room. I slammed the door behind me as I entered the room and with shaking hands I locked the door and fell to the floor. What had I done? Why had I kissed him!? I touched my hand to my lips; my first kiss. I let my head fall against the door. What was I thinking? I was moving too fast, too soon. I had only known him a day! 'You'll be married soon though' I thought. I might as well get used to the idea of being with him THAT way. I blushed at the thought. I was still such a child, running from a mere kiss. It is my duty to be with him but maybe it could be something more. I smiled to myself. I needed Vivel. I slowly got up and unlocked the door. I left the room to find a maid, which involved me scouring the castle for a few minutes as close to dinner time as it was, and once relaying my wishes, headed back to my room. As I neared my door, a jolt ran through my body. I could feel that somebody was in my room. Madame Pru had taught me to sense the energy inside of people, pinpoint it so that I could tell friend from foe, wolf from human. I had left before finishing though and could only vaguely tell someone was there. I looked around before using my magic to slowly open the door without making it creak and snuck a look into the room. Sitting in the chair that was beside the window that now stood open sat the Queen herself, my mother. She was staring out the window and I stood stock still in surprise. "Come in girl and close the door" She hadn't even turned around. I closed the door before making my way across the room to her and bowed. "Mother, I hadn't been expecting you." I heard a scoff and looked up to see her glaring at me vehemently. "If you would use your magic as you were taught you would have sensed it was me instead of dallying about outside the door." She rose from her spot and I could feel myself getting smaller as she approached. "You seem to be doing well with the boy _king_ " She spat the word like it was a sin to speak it. "I had Madame Pru following your progress quietly so as not to raise suspicion and I must say" She looked down and smiled coldly at me. "Your attempts are pathetic, dear. If you expect to win him over your going to have to do better" She turned toward back toward the window. "To use your magic to gain his assistance to our cause you're going to have to get him to fall for you first". At first I am silent, so silent I am not even breathing. And then my body catches up to my mind and I fall onto the floor in a heap. "You want me to Charm him?" My voice is a trembling whisper.

Madame Pru's voice whispered in the back of my mind. "Marianne, to charm someone they must be close to you. Animals are the easiest as they trust easily and are extremely susceptible to suggestions." She whistled and a solid white puppy bounded through the flowers toward us. The extremely careless gait caused a giggle to escape my lips. Madame Pru scowled but said nothing until the puppy reached us. She reached down and grabbed it up roughly by the scruff of the neck and tossed it to me. I barely caught the poor trembling mass of fur but Madame Pru just glared. "He is your responsibility now. By the end of this week I want you to teach him to sit and lay down without you speaking a word out loud." The puppy squirmed and whined to be let down. I placed him on the ground and looked up and she was gone.

The next few days I spent every waking minute training the puppy I dubbed Leo. We did everything together. He slept at the foot of my bed, he ate the same food I ate, and he joined me in all my lessons, sitting obediently by my desk and napping sporadically. By the second day I had taught him how to sit and lay with words. By the fourth day, I had him down to hand commands. Every day I tried to communicate with him mentally and every day I failed. He would perk his ears up, look at me funny and continue rhythmically licking himself. I was running out of time. At the last day of my allotted week I still could only get Leo to whine and scratch at his ears like my voice was a dull shrill. Madame Pru sat in a garden chair amidst a slew of red flowers, tapping her foot in impatience. I sighed in defeat as Leo walked away whining and twitching his ears. "I can't do it" I braced myself for the whack of her cane she kept with her but it never came. I heard her whistle and Leo came running, his carefree gait making me smile again, until Madame Pru spoke. "Neither one of you leaves until he listens" Ice filled my stomach and I gritted my teeth. "You can't keep us here" Madame Pru only waved her hand and murmured words too low for me to hear and suddenly I felt the tingle of magic in the air. "I've created a force field around this area no one can see you or hear you and will walk through one side of the force field and out the other. Break it or teach the mutt." Then she disappeared again, leaving me alone with Leo scratching at the invisible force holding us in here. I whimpered in anguish and Leo came and nuzzled under my arm in support. By the end of the second day in the box, both of us half-starved, thirsty, and a mess, we were finally released from our confinement. The smug smile on Madame Pru's face showed her satisfaction. I wanted to hit her until it dissolved away; Until she was nothing but a smug on the ground. She greeted us with two bowls, one for Leo and one for me and we scarfed it down in seething silence. When we had finished she took the bowls back and handed them to a waiting maid. "Now that you have mastered that, I can tell you about why you must have the bond before Charming" She sat back down in the same garden chair from before. "The bond determines the power of the Charming. If you asked a complete stranger to, say, dance naked in the street, he would feel only the barest desire to enact your demand. But if you asked a complete stranger to whistle a tune he already knew, he would do so. Now if you asked a close friend to dance naked, a thing they normally wouldn't do, they would do it without hesitation. It impresses on them your will and the stronger the relationship, the stronger the desire to fulfill your wish. Do you understand?" I nod my head mutely, defiantly. Madame Pru gets up from her chair slowly, her old bones groaning under the pressure of standing. She calls for a maid across the garden. "Take this dog off somewhere and leave it we have no further need of him". My head shoots up then. "Wait, no, you can't take Leo." Madame Pru simply looks over bored and states "I never said you got to keep him. The exercise was for you to make him bond with you not for you to bond to him. Yet another lesson you need to learn. Don't get attached to insignificant things." She gestures to the maid and walks briskly off. I watched as the maid apologetically curtsied to me before tying a rope that she had for gardening around his neck and leading the struggling puppy away while I crumpled to the ground crying.

My mother walked over to me on the floor and bent down to grasp my face and yank it upward to look into my eyes. " Not just any Charming, dear. We are going to kill him". She pushed my face back and my heart crumbled into pieces. "Why?" She walked over to the window and stood precariously on the edge before turning back to me, visions of despair in her eyes. " It's the only way to destroy the wolves. That is what you want still, right? To kill the monsters that have taken so much from us?" I grimaced and nodded at the ground. "good" and she jumped off the edge. In shock, I ran to the window only to see two ravens flying into the sunset toward the second kingdom. Madame Pru had morphed her into a bird, of course; that's how she had gotten in. I calmly walked to my window and closed it then sat on the edge of my bed in the dark and cried for the first time since I lost Leo.


End file.
